Dayne Zorko Out as Brisbane Vs Geelong Rematch Looms

Dayne Zorko was withdrawn from Brisbane’s side for brisbane vs geelong on Thursday night at the Gabba, and James Tunstill came in to replace him. The late change landed on a Grand Final rematch between two teams that both arrived at 6-3.

Brisbane also made a separate switch, with Darcy Gardiner coming into the team in place of Darragh Joyce and Lincoln McCarthy. That left the Lions with a reshaped line-up for a home meeting that had already been sharpened by their previous game, when they led Carlton by as much as 49 points before conceding six consecutive goals either side of the last change.

Geelong Makes Four Changes

Geelong answered with four changes of its own. Gryan Miers returned for his first game since Gather Round, while Mark Blicavs, Jack Henry and Mitch Edwards also came back into Chris Scott’s side.

Rhys Stanley, Jack Bowes, Jake Kolodjashnij and James Worpel were out after a five-day break. Sam Marshall was named for his first game of the year, giving Geelong another fresh option as it tried to extend a run that had already produced four straight wins.

Gabba Rematch Pressure

Geelong’s recent form made the fixture more than a routine home game for Brisbane. The Cats had won their past four matches by more than 120 points each, while Brisbane entered with the same 6-3 record and the memory of last year’s grand final meeting still hanging over the rematch.

For Brisbane, the immediate task is to cover Zorko’s absence without losing the edge of a selection that was already changing on the day. For Geelong, the test is whether the returning players can carry the same scoring power into a venue where the Lions were set to lean on a revised side from the opening bounce.